AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 Mini PC Review: Steam OS Performance That Surprises

Introduction

The AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 Mini PC is a workstation-class compact computer built primarily for AI workloads. But it turns out this little machine has another trick up its sleeve: it runs Steam OS remarkably well. In fact, it outperforms Valve’s own Steam Machine in several gaming benchmarks, all without a dedicated graphics card.

This review explores what makes this mini PC special, how it handles Steam OS, and whether it makes sense for your setup.

Design and Hardware

The mini PC is a genuinely good-looking unit. It features a bluish-purple gradient finish with a white LED strip running around the front and sides. The design feels premium and modern, fitting well into a living room or desk setup. Despite its compact one-liter form factor, it packs serious hardware.

At the heart of this machine is the AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 processor. It offers 16 cores and 32 threads, boosting up to 5.1 GHz. The real star, however, is the integrated GPU. The Radeon 8060S is based on RDNA 3.5 architecture and features 40 compute units. This makes it the most powerful iGPU available at the time of testing.

The system comes with 128 GB of unified RAM running at 8,000 megatransfers per second. You can dedicate up to 96 GB to the iGPU, which is far more than any game currently needs. Out of the box, the machine runs either Linux or Windows. The Windows version was used for this review, but Steam OS was installed for testing.

Steam OS Experience

Installing Steam OS on this mini PC is surprisingly straightforward. The official Steam Deck recovery image was used, and everything worked right out of the box. The system booted up immediately and ran the stable version of Steam OS 3.8.14, the same version you would install on a Steam Deck or Steam Machine.

The full Steam OS experience is present here. The performance overlay works, showing all 16 cores and 32 threads. Frame limiting, variable refresh rate support, and tearing options are all available. The interface looks different from the Steam Deck or Steam Machine, but you can customize it to your liking using tools like Decky.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even sleep functionality work as expected. You can wake the system using the Steam controller, which is a nice touch for living room setups. The white LED on the front of the unit turns blue and pulses when in sleep mode, providing a clear visual indicator.

Gaming Performance

The gaming benchmarks tell an impressive story. Running built-in benchmarks at the highest settings with no scaling, the Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 Mini PC consistently outperformed the official Steam Machine.

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider at very high settings, the mini PC delivered a 17% performance gain at 1080p, 20% at 1440p, and 41% at 4K compared to the Steam Machine. Cyberpunk 2077 at ultra settings showed a 14% gain at 1080p, 16% at 1440p, and a massive 50% gain at 4K. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered at very high settings saw gains of 24% at 1080p, 17% at 1440p, and 23% at 4K.

Real-world gaming performance is equally impressive. Crimson Desert runs at over 105 FPS on average at native 1440p high settings with FSR frame generation enabled. Forza Horizon 6 runs at over 70 FPS at 1440p ultra with no scaling at all. Elden Ring plays smoothly at high settings with no scaling, and occasional dips to around 58 FPS are barely noticeable on a variable refresh rate display.

Doom: The Dark Ages requires significant VRAM, and even with 96 GB available, it needed high settings with FSR set to balanced at 1440p. Spider-Man 2 performs well at 1440p high with FSR set to quality, though it can be inconsistent depending on the day.

Thermals and Power

The mini PC maintains a sustained TDP of around 130 watts in Windows. During Steam OS gaming sessions, temperatures hovered around 74 degrees Celsius on the APU while playing AAA games at 1440p. The fan does not spin up excessively, keeping noise levels reasonable.

Windows temperatures were slightly higher with the same games, likely due to running at a higher TDP in high performance mode. Either way, the system performed admirably with Steam OS installed.

Buying Advice

This mini PC is significantly more expensive than the top-tier Steam Machine. It is not designed specifically for gaming, and you should not buy one solely for that purpose. However, if you need a powerful workstation for AI workloads and also want the flexibility to game on Steam OS, this machine delivers exceptional value.

The ability to run Steam OS from an external drive adds flexibility for living room setups. The wake-from-sleep functionality with the Steam controller works flawlessly, making it a viable option for couch gaming.

Conclusion

The AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 Mini PC is a remarkable piece of hardware. It combines workstation-class performance with surprisingly capable gaming capabilities through Steam OS. While it costs more than a dedicated gaming machine, its versatility makes it a compelling option for users who need both AI computing power and gaming flexibility.

If you are looking for a compact PC that can handle demanding workloads and still deliver a great gaming experience, this mini PC deserves serious consideration.